The much-awaited U.S. Pond Hockey Championships are set to launch on Lake Nokomis without delay as Minnesota's recent cold snap nudges ice conditions in the right direction. The tournament, which gathers hockey enthusiasts from around the globe, had been on thin ice thanks to a warmer-than-usual winter.
Officials of the tournament recently announced their decision to proceed with their opening weekend plans, despite having a backup strategy ready—the latest conditions are promising enough to stick with “Plan A,” they say. “At this point, we are confident with temperature forecasts over the next 5 days, and given our current status, we are comfortable deciding on Opening Weekend,” according to a statement obtained by FOX 9.
However, caution remains in the air as the official stance is still tentative, the next 72 hours critical to their preparations as ice growth is a must, and the tournament may have to switch gears—if conditions worsen, "We need to grow more ice, and by about this time on Wednesday, we will reassess any changes in plans," officials noted. Organizers are closely monitoring the well-below-freezing temperatures forecasted for the remainder of the week before the puck drops this Thursday.
Meanwhile, tournament commissioner Jim Dahline radiates an air of confidence in the face of Mother Nature's unpredictability, stating there's a "good base" of ice already formed with several days of bone-chilling cold on the way to solidify the playing fields. “I mean, I think so we’ve got a good base out there right now, and we’ve got four or five days of just extreme cold,” Dahline told KSTP. Although the ultimate decision will hinge on conditions up until the eve of the tournament, Dahline and crew are betting on the chilly forecast to play to their advantage and keep the championships on their originally scheduled course.
Should the ice prove stable and match officials' optimism, the championship is set to welcome around 2,500 players who are all eager to hit the ice for some good old-fashioned pond hockey.
